Restoration
by Pir8grl
Summary: A resolution to GitF. Rose meets a very different sort of historical lady.
1. Chapter 1

The Doctor frowned intently as he tinkered with a bit of circuitry beneath the console. The atmosphere in the TARDIS had been what might most charitably be described as 'strained' since their encounter with Madame du Pompadour and the murderous clockwork robots. He had a treat in mind, a wonderfully amusing outing to make them all feel better, but so far his suggestions had been met with a sort of weary acceptance on Rose's part, and outright hostility on Mickey's. They'd made it perfectly clear to him that he'd been a thoughtless prat, but damn it, he was trying very, very hard to make it up to them!

Footsteps echoed on the grating, and he scrambled to his feet and smiled as Rose entered the control room.

"Is this all right, then?" she asked, twirling a bit and holding out the skirts of her deep blue linen gown. Her hair was smoothed back into a bun with a few wispy curls framing her face.

"You look lovely," the Doctor told her warmly.

"She looked fine in her own clothes," Mickey muttered, not bothering to look up from the football match playing on the scanner.

The Doctor counted to fifty, slowly, in Gallifreyan, before answering. "Of course she looked fine, she doesn't need a dress to look fine…no, wait - that's **_not_** what I meant!" he spluttered to a halt.

Mickey glared at him, then pointedly turned his attention to Rose. "Stick with me, babe. You're good enough for me just the way you are. No need to go dressing up like a princess and trying to pretend you're something you're not."

"Are we done here?" the Doctor exclaimed in exasperation. His expression softened as he turned to Rose and took both her hands in his own. "Rose, you're always beautiful to me. You know that, right?"

She looked down at the floor. "Sometimes, I'm not so sure," she whispered. "An' even I know this isn't really a princess dress."

"No, it's not," he replied evenly. "But not because you're not good enough, or whatever else you might be thinking. I just thought you'd be more comfortable."

Mickey snorted, and the Doctor shot him a hard look before turning his attention back to Rose. "It's middle class, respectable enough for where we want to go, without making you too uncomfortable, all right? D'you have any idea how much a Restoration court gown weighs? Or how complicated it is to wear? Women who had to dress that way started being trained as very little girls, being laced into corsets and such, by maids, which, incidentally, we don't have any of."

"Got that right," Mickey interjected. "Bad enough those gits out there was callin' me a manservant, forget maid."

The Doctor pointedly ignored him. "Look, Rose, I just wanted you to dress appropriately for the time we're visiting, all right? Girls in 1668 London don't wear tank tops and jeans, they wear gowns. Especially for a trip to the theatre," he finished up in a wheedling tone.

"The theatre?" Rose asked, starting to smile.

"Yup! We are going to see Nell Gwyn, one of the most brilliant comedic actresses of the day."

"Hold on then," Mickey interrupted, "I remember this bit from history class. In the sixteen hundreds, the girls parts was played by blokes in dresses!"

"That was the early sixteen hundreds," the Doctor explained, trying to keep a firm grip on his patience. "This is 1668, the reign of Charles the Second, who was very fond of the theatre, and very fond of pretty girls. Ergo, he changed the laws to permit women to perform on stage."

He bowed to Rose and extended his hand to her with a playful smile. "Dame Rose Tyler of the Powell Estate, would you care to accompany me?"

Laughing, Rose set her hand in his. At the door, the Doctor realized that Mickey hadn't moved from his seat and turned back.

"Coming, Mickey?"

"No thanks."

"Oh, come on…you didn't come all this way through time an' space to sit here an' watch telly when we're in Old London!" Rose exclaimed.

"I went out for a wander while you was getting' dressed up. It stinks out there, and about the nicest thing I was called was 'fella.'"

"Mickey…"

"Did you use the psychic paper?" the Doctor asked. "That should have gotten you past just about anything."

Mickey squeezed his eyes shut and sighed heavily. "Look, I've had my fill of fancy historical people in fancy historical clothes, OK? Just let me have some space, all right?"

"All right," the Doctor said soberly. He carefully ushered Rose through the TARDIS's doors, and they stepped out into Drury Lane.


	2. Chapter 2

Rose looked curiously about as they meandered through the street towards the Theatre Royal. "How comes you never get dressed up for these trips?" she wondered, glancing over at his usual suit and coat and spectacularly ruffled hair.

"'Cuz no one notices me when you're here," he replied, with the cheeky grin that usually melted her heart. He thought she started to smile, but it was just the ghost of an expression, flitting across her face before he could be sure it was really there.

Rose twitched her skirts fastidiously away from the muck lining the street. "Mickey was right…it does stink."

"And just imagine how much worse it smells like if you've got my -"

"-superior biology," Rose finished in unison with him. Laughing, she laid her cheek against his sleeve, and just for a second, it was almost like the old days. "So, who's this we're going to see?"

"Nell Gwyn. Brilliant woman. One of the very first English stage actresses, wonderful comedienne, and **_kind_** - never forgot where she came from. Oh, you know what? We might even get to see the king! This is the year she became his…" The Doctor's voice trailed off as he realized that he was about to get himself into trouble. Again.

"His what, Doctor?"

He gulped nervously. "Erm…mistress."

Rose dropped his arm abruptly. "Mistress to the king? Another one?" She spun and headed off down the lane away from him.

He chased after her, his longer legs allowing him to catch up before she could get too far. "Rose!" He caught her arm. "Rose, please listen to me. Nell is nothing like Reinette, I promise you. Actually, she reminds me…well, she reminds me a bit of you. She didn't come from an important family or have a fine upbringing and education, but she was strong, and followed her heart, and made her own dreams come true, and centuries after she lived, people still know her story."

She bit her lip and looked away…at the ground…anywhere but his face, trying very hard not to cry.

He gently reached out and tipped her face up so he could look into her eyes. "Rose. I never meant to hurt you."

"I know…but…you did. You left me an' Mickey alone with those robot things, and then you went **_back_**, and you were gone for so long, and I didn't think you'd ever get back to us…to me."

"But I did get back. To **_you_**, Rose Tyler. As special as Reinette was, she wasn't you, and she could never, ever take your place in my hearts. No one could. I very much need for you to believe that. D'you think you can?"

She looked up at him through eyes that sparkled with unshed tears. "I think so…just…just give me a little time, all right?"

He grinned down at her. "Rose Tyler, you and I have nothing **_but_** time."


	3. Chapter 3

"So this is another cheap date, then?" Rose asked, sounding almost her usual chipper self.

"What makes you say that?"

She looked up at him and rolled her eyes adorably. "Matinee?"

The Doctor laughed as he pointed out the theatre up ahead. "All the shows take place during the day, Rose. No electricity yet, remember? The theatre is open air."

Rose glanced curiously at the crowds of people headed for the theatre. Some of the finery being worn by the upper classes was truly outrageous, and she decided that the Doctor had, in fact, picked the perfect gown for her. At least she could breath pretty easily without worrying about falling out of the front of her dress. Oh, and walk through doors without having to turn sideways!

A small, grubby hand reached out and caught at Rose's skirt. "Please, miss," the child whimpered.

"Doctor?" she appealed, horrified at the sight of such a small girl out in the street on her own.

"Right. Let's see what we've got." He began rummaging through his pockets, eventually producing a banana.

"You do realize she's probably never seen one of those before?" Rose murmured, smiling at the child's bewildered expression.

"That's all right," the Doctor said cheerfully. He knelt down in front of the child and opened the peel, showing her how to get at the fruit. "There you go."

The little girl stared up at him for a moment, then took a tentative taste of her banana, before happily tucking in.

The Doctor stood and offered Rose his arm. "All right?" he asked, noticing the troubled expression in her lovely brown eyes.

"Yeah. It's just…there's all these people in fancy dress and diamonds, and then there's little kids starvin' in the street. It's just…it's wrong."

"It's history," he reminded her soberly.

"Yeah." Rose glanced back once as they moved off down the street, but the little girl had been swallowed up by the crowd.


	4. Chapter 4

The Doctor protected Rose from being jostled as they entered the theatre. Much to her surprise, he produced a couple of suitably authentic coins for the man at the door.

"What, no psychic paper?"

He leaned down to whisper in her ear. "Doesn't work so well if the bloke you're waving it at can't read."

"Where're we sitting, then?" Rose asked, eyeing the gorgeously arrayed people in the boxes that rose up in tiers, encircling the stage.

"Not up there," the Doctor replied firmly. "Those boxes are wonderful for showing off your wardrobe, but not so good if you'd actually like to hear the play. We're sitting down here." He ushered her to a bench in the pit.

Rose looked around at the theatre, fascinated. She'd been to a West End musical or two, but this was completely different - no lights or speakers or miles of cable - just natural sunlight streaming through the open roof and gorgeously painted wooden scenery. There was no curtain, and no lights to dim, so she was a bit startled when the actors simply walked out on the stage and the play commenced. At first the rhyming lines seemed stilted to her ears, but soon the rollicking onstage pranks drew her in and Rose was laughing heartily right along with the rest of the audience. The crowd went absolutely wild when a beautiful girl with curling, red-gold hair made her entrance.

"Is that her?" Rose whispered.

"It is, indeed." The Doctor was about to ask if Rose was enjoying herself, but her radiant smile answered that for him without words. They sat through the remainder of the play with hands intertwined and her head resting against his shoulder.


	5. Chapter 5

Rose passed quickly through the control room with a large basket full of apples and buns from the TARDIS's stores on her arm. She didn't fancy wandering the streets of Old London Town after dark, but figured she'd be fine while it was still light out.

"Where you off to?" Mickey asked, looking up from the screen where he was still engrossed in football.

"There were some little kids beggin' outside the theatre," she replied, gesturing to the basket.

"Nice place he brings us."

"It's not fairyland, Mickey, it's a real place. Nice and not-nice mixed together. I want to help with the not-nice bit if I can."

He stared at her intently, head tipped to one side. "You've forgiven him, then."

"Yes, I have," Rose replied steadily.

"Why?"

"Because he didn't mean it, and he apologized. Because he forgave me when I messed up, and I caused a helluva lot more damage than he did."

Mickey shook his head in disbelief, then subsided back behind the screen.

"I wish you'd come with us," Rose said softly. "The play was wonderful!"

"No thanks. I got enough of that stuff in school."

"If they taught those plays in school the way they're performed now, no one would ever drop out! It was almost like a Christmas panto - all sorts of larks and pratfalls. Anyway…I'll be back in a bit."

Rose made her way briskly to the theatre, pausing to distribute snacks from her basket to the ragged children she encountered along the way. As she got closer to the Theatre Royal, she was surprised to see another young woman doing the exact same thing - a young woman with softly curling red-gold hair and a brilliant smile.

"Oh, wow…you're her...from the play!" Rose gasped.

The other girl laughed merrily. "Yeah, I'm Nelly. Did you enjoy the show, then?"

Rose was expecting to find herself tongue-tied at the prospect of speaking to another fancy lady in a spectacular gown, but Nell's smile and natural charm set her at ease. "It was amazing! I never thought I'd say that. When you read this Shakespeare stuff in school, it's just all these funny words on a page, but you - you made it come to life!"

"You went to school? Truly? And you can read?" Nell exclaimed enviously.

"Well, yeah. I mean, I didn't get my A-levels, so I can't go to university, but sure, I can read."

"Wish I could."

"But you're the leading lady. How'd you learn your lines?"

"Someone else reads 'em to me, and I memorize them that way."

Rose stared at Nell in awe. "An' you remember the whole play?"

"**_Plays_**. All of 'em. We do a bunch of different plays in a season, or like tomorrow, we've got word that the King's comin', so we're puttin' on his favorite: 'Secret Love.' Thing is, Master Dryden's decided to touch it up a bit an' add some new lines, but there's no one around to read 'em to me, and I need to learn 'em for tomorrow's show. It's the King, you see. If I could just get him to notice me…"

"Could I help?" Rose asked tentatively. "I can read the lines to you."

Nell grabbed her arm impulsively. "Could you, really? That would be so wonderful!" Laughing, she pulled Rose inside the theatre.


	6. Chapter 6

The two girls settled on the edge of the stage, where the light was still good.

"I'm sorry," Nell said suddenly, "I never did ask your name."

"I'm Rose."

"Really? That's my sister's name."

"Is she an actress, too?" Rose asked curiously.

"Nah…that was my daft idea. We started out together, though, selling oranges in the pit. Me, I just fell in love with it all. I learned all the plays by heart, just from bein' here. Which reminds me…we'd better get to this before we lose the light." Nell retrieved some folded pages out of the bottom of her basket. "Here we are then. Florimell, that's me."

Rose studied the hand written manuscript curiously. "How come there's just your lines?"

Nell laughed merrily. "And who's got time to write out whole copies of every play? Only the playwright and the stage manager have whole copies, unless someone with a few coins to rub together commissions a folio to be printed. My lines, and just a word or two before. That's all I need."

Rose drew in a deep breath and began to read the revised scenes to Nell. She was amazed at how fast the other girl picked up information, committing the new lines to memory with after just a few repetitions.

"I think I've got it," Nell decided, at just about the time the light was fading too fast for Rose to read any more. "I just hope it's good enough."

"To impress the King, you mean?"

Nell nodded.

"I'm sure it will be," Rose assured her. "You're brilliant!"

"Thanks, luv," Nell replied, with a slightly worried smile.

"Have you ever met the King?" Rose asked curiously.

"Oh, my, yes. Traveled as part of his household last year, when the playhouses was closed on account of the plague."

"What's he like?"

Nell leaned in close to whisper conspiratorially. "Handsome, clever, funny…and kind."

A stagehand approached them. "Nelly, I need to be locking up soon."

"That's fine, Tom. Oh, and see if there's anymore little 'uns hanging about outside, would you?" she asked, passing over her basket that still held a few pieces of bread.

"Here, take this, too," Rose offered, handing over hers as well.

"God keep ye, mistress," Tom replied deferentially.

"It's nice of you to look after those kids," Rose said.

"I was one of 'em, not all that long ago," Nell replied. She stood and straightened the skirts of her scarlet gown. "Well, then, I've got a supper date. How about you?"

Belatedly, Rose noticed how dark it had grown. "I need to get back. The Doctor will be worrying."

"Doctor?" Nell asked, grinning.

"Yeah…he's my… friend. We travel together."

Nell's grin turned into a slight smirk at Rose's stumbled explanation. "And what's he like?"

Rose blushed shyly and laughed a little. "Handsome, clever, funny…well, daft is more like it sometimes. And kind. Really kind," she added, reflecting on all the wonderful places and things he'd shown her.

"Rose? Are you in here?" a familiar voice called from the door.

"Over here, Doctor!" she replied.

"'Zat him?" Nell whispered appreciatively. "Blimey, he is a looker!"

Rose nodded, trying to muffle a giggle with her hand.

"I was worried," he said, smiling in relief as he wandered over to them. "It's gotten dark and you shouldn't be wandering about on your own."

"It was my fault," Nell explained. "Rose was helpin' me learn my lines. I didn't mean to keep her so long."

"Mistress Gwyn!" the Doctor exclaimed warmly. "We were delighted to see your performance this afternoon."

"Just plain Nelly'll do," she answered cheekily. Her smile turned a bit wistful as she watched the Doctor gently settle a light shawl around Rose's shoulders.

"Can we escort you anywhere?" the Doctor asked courteously.

"Thanks, but no. There's a coach comin' for me. Tom'll wait with me til it gets here." Impulsively, she hugged Rose. "Thanks for helpin' me."

"I was glad to," Rose replied sincerely.

The Doctor drew Rose's arm through his. "Goodbye, Nelly."

Rose turned back towards Nell and grinned. "Tell you what…I bet you're gonna have a really great year!"

The Doctor looked down at Rose, her words echoing in his head peculiarly. "Why those words?" he asked curiously.

"I dunno. Just…something someone said to me once…not too long before I met you." Rose twined both arms firmly around the Doctor's. "Thanks for bringing me here."

A thousand different thoughts flitted through the Doctor's mind, but as usual, the words stuck in his throat, so he settled for dropping a light kiss to the top of her head, and hoping that was enough.

* * *

_**Historical note:**_ Nell Gwyn was a real person. She was a pretty colorful lady, so there is a great deal of speculation and outright fiction about her, but for purposes of this story, I've chosen to focus on things that are known to be factual. She was one of the very first British stage actresses, and is probably best known as one of Charles II's favorite mistresses. It's fairly well documented that she was illiterate and did, in fact, learn all of her parts by memorizing the lines as someone else read them aloud for her.


End file.
